WOWPASS review

Card payments are free, since the transfer fee is 0 KRW on card payments; 1,000 KRW per cash withdrawal. Cash withdrawals are charged on top of that. The figure that matters on a large send is the exchange rate markup, which stands at 4%.

The markup is 4%, which puts WOWPASS 95 of 107 brands on that measure. The design keeps card sends free, so anyone converting a large amount pays for the service through the rate rather than a transfer charge.

Delivery is Instant, card issued on the spot at WOW Exchange machines. That suits a traveller who lands and needs local money in hand rather than waiting for a card in the post, and the operator behind the service is Orange Square Co., Ltd..

Payouts run to card, cash pickup and wallet, so a card, a cash pickup and a wallet transfer are all available at the point of payment. Support is on email, chat and phone, which means a stuck withdrawal can be chased by phone as well as email.

The service is licensed by the Financial Services Commission in Korea under 02-002-00084, and the operator is Orange Square Co., Ltd.. That licence is the first thing to check, since it sets the rules for holding a balance and handling transfers in the country of issue.

Currencies number 16, a single market of coverage rather than a broad multi-currency list. That suits someone whose money moves between Korea and a handful of places, and each conversion carries the 4% markup.

It is built for people in Korea who want a travel money card, since card payments are free (0 KRW on card payments; 1,000 KRW per cash withdrawal) and support runs on email, chat and phone. Someone who pays everything by bank transfer in a single home market will find little to use here.